DRUG ADDICT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1938, Page 5

DRUG ADDICT.

DOCTOR'S EVIDENCE.

WOMAN FOUND WANDERING. DEATH FROM POISONING. (Special.—By Air Mall.) LONDON, December 17. For two hours Dr. Ronald Gray Gordon, noted doctor in Bath, faced an inquest jury and told them of his treatment of 28-year-old Miss Ellen Ruddle, drug addict, whose body was exhumed seven weeks ago. Miss Ruddle died on August 31 in a padded cell at the Bath Institution, where she had been taken after being found wandering. Standing with his hands in his pockets, the tall, curly-haired doctor gave his evidence precisely, explaining medical points as he might to a patient.

He had been warned by the coroner that he need not give evidence, but elected to do so.

"You are not obliged to give evidence," the coroner told hinu "You know it is taken down and it is possible for it to be used oa some other occasion?"

"Yes," replied Dr. Gordon

Already an Addict.

Then he told the Courts that when he first treated Miss Ruddle, ' nearly eight years ago, she was already a drug addict.

' She told him she had been taking drugs since an operation at the age of 14.

He revealed that he had once been able to stop her taking the drug for seven months.

For a time he persuaded her to enter a nursing home, had hopes of curing her, until "when we tried to get. it below two or three grains daily, all the old symptoms and difficulties returned."

In the Court as the doctor spoke was jMiss Ruddle's farmer father from Bournemouth.

"Not Disinherited."

Red-faced and almost bald save for a fringe of white hair, he showed emotion as Sir Bernard Spilsbury described his examination and told of finding a plain yellow metal ring on one finger.

| Earlier in the hearing a solicitor representing Mr. Ruddle said he wished to Imake it clear there was no truth in the [suggestion that Miss Ruddle had been disinherited by him.

After Sir Bernard had given evidence, the jury said tliey had heard enough evidence.

They returned a verdict, after a threeminutes' retirement, that Miss Ruddle died of exhaustion and general mental deterioration arising out of chronic drug poisoning.

The first witness was Dr. Frank Summers, doctor in charge ,of Frome Road House, the Bath Institution.

He said that Dr. Gordon told him that Miss Ruddle took about six grains daily, and hqd been well until 14 days before her admission to the institution.

Dr. Summers said that he gave Miss Ruddle one grain six times a day when she was admitted, and then reduced it to half a grain when necessary up to six times daily.

After August 28 she had one-grain doses, but became weaker and died 011 August 31. His opinion was that the cause of death was toxic myocarditis, due to drug poisoning.

Mr." ,T. G. Moloney (for the police): Did Dr. Gordon say whether his patient had relatives? —He said that she had a father, but he had disinherited her. "Mental Trouble." Dr. Gordon then entered the box. He said that when he first saw Miss Ruddle on April 27, 1931, he thought that she had some mental trouble in addition to abdominal pains of which she had complained.

Later he realised that she was a drug addict. She admitted it. He told of his efforts to cure her.

A child was born in August, 1934, and when it died after about 11 days Miss Ruddle was terribly distressed. "It was all one could do to exercise any control over lier," said the doctor.

The drug had to be continued after-] wards. From 1936 to July, 1937, she was gradually failing and becoming more difficult, and it became more difficult to control lier general mental condition.

At the beginning of August she be-

came definitely woree, and two nurses were brought to attend her.

"She became- entirely uncontrollable," Dr. Gordon went on, "and eventually she was found wandering without proper clothing." She was taken to Frome Road House, and he visited the institution to give what help he could. Answering Mr. J. G. Moloney, for the police, the doctor said that Miss Ruddle had forbidden him to communicate with her relatives. Drug Chart. Dr. Gordon was handed a chart, which Mr. Moloney said was e monthly record representing the amount of a certain drug obtained from chemists throughout the southern counties of England. Mr. Moloney "Can you explain why the year 1931 contains no record of any drug supplied to Miss, Ruddle until the month of November?"

Dr. Gordon said it was at a time when lie was trying to cut her off. "She came to me in April, 1931. For some time one tried to cut her off, and I concluded that jshe could not go on without it."

Mr. Moloney: If those records are correct, she did not have any until she was a number of months under vour care?

Dr. Gordon: I want to be accurate, and my memory is not certain as to the exact number of months.

Questioned how Miss Ruddle could have obtained the drug apart from chemists in the proper way. Dr. Gordon replied: *'I don't know. Such things [have happened."

Sir Bernard Spilsbury gave a detailed account of bis post mortem, as a result of which he concluded that death was due to general exhaustion caused bv chronic drug poisoning.

Answering Mr. Moloney, Sir Bernard said: '"In my view, deprivation of the drug for seven months would result in a cure."

The jury then returned their verdict.